


Among the Noise and Lights

by Kililo, Myka



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Arcades, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24850579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kililo/pseuds/Kililo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myka/pseuds/Myka
Summary: Ash and Eiji meet in an arcade after a long time apart, but Ash must make a decision before it's too late.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 14
Kudos: 77
Collections: Banana Fish Reverse Big Bang





	Among the Noise and Lights

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the Banana Fish Reverse Big Bang.
> 
> Art by [Kililo](https://twitter.com/_kilil0)

* * *

The lights are bright.

The music is loud.

Eiji bounces on the balls of his feet as he reaches up to wrap his arms around Ash and hugs him as tightly as he can.

Rows and rows of arcade games surround them. Fighting games, shooting games, sports games, tickets games, and even pinball machines.

It was noisy. Almost too noisy, Eiji thought,yet also perfect and familiar.

Behind them a couple of girls play skeeball, cheering and high fiving each other as the machine starts spouting dozens of tickets.

“Do you want to play something?” Ash’s voice is soft and Eiji hugs him tighter. He takes a slow deep breath and twirls the ring around his ring finger with his thumb, then nods twice, smiling as Ash takes his hand and pulls him to the nearest game–House of the Dead.

“Wowwwww.” Eiji approaches the game excitedly. “I was visiting Ibe when I first saw this at a small arcade in Okayama.”

“It’s a shooting game?” Ash asks, eyeing the blue guns.

Eiji grins. “Are you as good with that as with a real gun?” he teases, grabbing one of the blue plastic guns.

“It’s been a while. I’m probably rusty.” Ash smirks, “this isn’t like a real gun either,” and grabs the other blue gun.

Eiji puts one quarter in and the game starts. Eiji starts shooting at the animated zombies on the screen as they launch for him. He’s actually not that bad at it. He used to spend many hours in arcades just like this, filled with voices and noise that would make him forget about the world for a little while. Where he would hang out with strangers and pretend they were all friends. Where faces started to become familiar yet Eiji disconnected from those groups as he got older and older.

Eiji is still good at this game.

But Ash is much better. The zombies can’t touch him, and Eiji isn’t surprised in the least when Ash finishes the game with that single quarter.

“Rusty... Right.” Eiji teases. “Anything here you are not good at?”

Ash purses his lips and takes a look around the arcade. “Have never tried one of those toy catching games.” He nods towards the row of crane machines.

Eiji’s face lights up. “Ahhhh I love these!” He hurries to the crane games, peeking inside each one carefully for something to catch his eye. “These are very popular in Japan! When I was seven I really wanted this super cool Astro Boy plush from the arcade close to our house. My dad spent 40 dollars getting it for me. He never stopped reminding me how much it cost him!” Eiji’s smile fades a little. The memory is bittersweet and clings to his thoughts. Eiji shakes his shoulders and glances behind him almost as if he expected his father to be there.

There are only people hugging and laughing.

“I’ll do it in $20 or less.” Ash says, claiming Eiji’s attention again.

Eiji spots the last crane game full of yellow and purple round plushies. “Minions!” He exclaims excitedly, pressing both hands against the glass. I just saw this movie with Li—”

Eiji bites his tongue and suddenly is like the little minion plushies band together to become a ball of yellow, blue, and purple. The sounds and laughs of the people around them fade out like white noise.

Ash’s hand grabs Eiji’s with a firm grip. “Look at me,” he says with a squeeze of Eiji’s fingers.

Eiji does. Ash’s smile is wide and bright and Eiji returns it tenfold.

“Which one do you want?” Ash asks, putting a quarter into the game.

Eiji places both hands on the glass again to peek inside. “The evil minion! It’s cute and purple!”

Ash laughs, nudging Eiji gently to the side so he can concentrate on the crane game. Eiji bumps closer to Ash without disturbing him and watches intently as Ash maneuvers the claw carefully over one of the evil purple minions.

  
Art by [Kililo](https://twitter.com/_kilil0)

The claw drops and barely grabs the minions face, grazing it’s wild hair before rolling back up and resetting. “That’s not fair!” Ash complains, glaring at the offending piece of metal.

Eiji laughs. “It’s a little bit tricky. These are different from the ones in Japan, but not entirely impossible.”

“I think it’s rigged.” Ash scowls at the machine. 

Eiji puts in another quarter in as he nudges Ash a little and grabs the joystick. “Let me try,” he pushes the little joystick gently forward then to the side, lining it up with the minion of his choice. He pushes the button with a quick tap and the claw drops around the minion’s body, raising it ever so slightly before it falls again into the sea of minions. “Ah no!” Eiji groans in defeat, watching the cute minion sadly. “At least I put it in a better position.” He nods proudly as Ash eyes him with what seemed to be utter annoyance.

Eiji knew that pout all too well. That pout that appeared every morning when Eiji would pull the covers away from a grumpy ruffled mess of blond hair.

He had missed that pout so much.

“Ok my turn,” Ash bumps Eiji again with his hip and Eiji just warms up to Ash’s side again, watching expectantly.

Ash bites his lip in concentration as he grabs the joystick and moves it with calculated grace. His eyes search for the perfect spot.

The claw wraps around the minion’s middle, raises it, then falls when the claw hits the roof and resets.

“You stupid little…”

“Try again.” Eiji rests his head on Ash’s shoulder, feeling the movement of his arm and body as Ash puts in another quarter then another and continues trying.

Again and again the claw wraps around the minion.

Again and again it falls and Ash pouts more and more.

“Try grabbing it over there,” Eiji points towards the fuzzy mess. “Maybe the hair can create some friction.”

“Worth a shot,” Ash nods and grabs the joystick once more. They both peek as close as they can to the glass, watching as the claw slowly moved across to the spot Eiji pointed. “There there,” Eiji bounces excitedly. Ash pushes the button and they both hold their breath as the claw drops perfectly between the minion’s head and body, the claw wrapping snuggly around it hair and all, and pulls it all of the way up without it falling then safely drops it into the winner slot.

“Yes!” Ash and Eiji say in unison. Both jumping excitedly and nudging each other with giddiness.

Ash puts his hand in the slot and pulls out the evil purple minion grinning stupidly. 

“For you.” Ash hands over the plush to Eiji.

Eiji slowly grabs it, his smile so wide his cheeks hurt. “I love it,” he hugs the plush close. Ash smiles too, poking the cheek of the little purple thing. “It’s so weird looking,” he muses. “Is it good or bad?” His finger travels slowly across the soft fabric, reaching Eiji’s hand. 

“It’s called the evil minion, but it’s neither good nor evil.” Eiji smiles. “It just kinda screams and throws raspberries. They are pretty funny.“

“Much better than the last thing I gave you.” Ash says.

Eiji squeezes the minion tighter while Ash traces soft lines into the back of his hand. “A notebook,” Eiji whispers and Ash touches the ring around his finger. “I wrote many things in it.” Eiji closes his eyes. “Many important things.”

“Eiji…” Ash starts.

Suddenly there’s a loud sharp beep, the arcade falls into complete darkness for a second. Eiji gasps as air is cut from his lungs with an intense tug of pain.

“Eiji!”

Eiji blinks and the lights are back on. Everyone is still laughing and chatting, playing games and having fun. Next to them, an older man gives his wife a kiss on the forehead as she cries softly.

Ash leans forward and holds Eiji’s cheeks with both hands. “Eiji. You should go back.”

Eiji shakes away pulling the minion close to his chest. “I don't want to…”

“I’m sorry.” Ash takes a step back. “But you have to go.”

Eiji opens his mouth but nothing comes out. The evil minion slips from his hands and rolls on the floor as Ash turns and bolts.

Eiji watches. His chest tightening with the pain of memory. He can’t do this again. He can’t watch Ash leave again. Not again.

“Ash!” Eiji runs after Ash, his feet scrambling against the dark blue carpet. Screaming Ash’s name as Ash throws the arcade’s front doors open and steps outside. “Ash!”

The noise from inside dims immediately once outside. A handful of people mingle in the cold and dark night. Some hugging. Some crying. Ash walks further and further into the dark. Further and further away from the noise and lights and Eiji.

“Wait for me!” Eiji calls out, struggling to keep up.

Ash turns around but continues walking backwards. “You stay. I’ll come back later…” He shakes his head and continues to back up. “I’ll come back when it’s time.”

“I don’t want to!” Eiji screams and hurries closer to Ash, he pulls the ring from his finger and offers it. “It’s time now! Take it please!” He begs. “Take me!” Eiji feels a pull, his legs stop working and he drops to the ground. The ring slips from his hand, clings loudly on the asphalt as it rolls forward until it bumps Ash’s foot.

Everything becomes dark around them. The facade of the arcade vanishing into nothingness. Replaced by the slow steady beep of a monitor.

Eiji tries to get closer to Ash but he can’t. “Please don’t tell me to go like I told you to go.” Eiji clutches his chest as he struggles to take a breath. “Ash, please…” he begs. “I regret every day telling you to go.” Eiji’s breath catches in his throat as a sharp pain races through his chest and he can hear Sing’s voice.

_ Try again! _

“Please, Ash!” Eiji cries. “I don't want to go back!”

The pain becomes sharper. The darkness fizzles and Eiji can see Sing standing over him, yelling.

Eiji screams.

“I’m here!” Ash wraps his arms around Eiji in the tightest hug Eiji has ever felt. Sing disappears and Eiji gasps as if he’s come up from deep underwater. Ash is warm. He’s home, and Eiji knows he will never leave again, that this time finally the goodbyes were over.

They kneel together on the floor. Their breaths coming in unison like a song of hearts. Eiji clutches at Ash’s coat, his fingers shaking uncontrollably as he traces the red-stained material. “It must have hurt so much.” Eiji blinks large tears that fall down his cheeks. “Must have been so scary. You were alone. No one was with you.”

“I wasn’t alone.” Ash says, reaching to wipe away Eiji’s tears. “I had your letter. I had you. You were always with me.”

Eiji closes his eyes tight. “I suffered so much after you were gone. I hurt so much I wanted to die.”

Ash pulls Eiji close in a tight hug, even tighter than before. “I never wanted to hurt you. I was selfish and only cared about my own pain, that I would be free of it. I was unable to believe someone loved me.”

“Well I did!” Eiji cries more. “I loved you.” Ash wipes away some tears. “I loved you with all my soul.”

“I loved you too.” Ash kisses Eiji’s brow. “Even when I thought it was wrong. I couldn’t help loving you.”

“It was never wrong you idiot.” Eiji smacks Ash’s shoulder softly. “It’s never wrong to love someone.”

“You don’t regret it then?” Ash asks. “Even after everything. After all the suffering and pain—”

Eiji quickly presses his index finger over Ash’s lips, hushing him. “First of all,” he corrects. “It wasn’t all suffering and pain.” Ash tries opening his mouth, but Eiji doesn’t let him interrupt. “Yes there was suffering and yes there was pain. But there was also sleeping together on blankets. Warm meals of eggs and natto.” Ash gags and Eiji gives a teary laugh. “Nights spent talking until three in the morning. Watching movies after you screamed that Shorter forgot to rewind the tape.”

Eiji holds back more tears. “I was so lucky that in a world with billions of people I had even a moment to be with you. No matter how much it hurt. I would never regret it. 

“I’m sorry, Eiji,” Ash bites his lower lip and his own eyes are starting to water. “I’m sorry.”

Eiji can’t hold the tears back and he sobs the pain in his heart out. Ash just holds him, wiping away his tears. He presses a kiss to Eiji’s brow and holds him close as tightly as he can.

“Give me your hand.” Ash whispers. Eiji pulls back just the slightest bit, enough to push his hand between them. Ash grips it tightly.

“Never again will we be apart.” Ash pulls Eiji’s hand to his lips and kisses it gently. “Our forever starts now.” Eiji blinks away tears and Ash presses the ring into the palm of Eiji’s hand..

Eiji takes the ring. “I promised you forever,” he slips the ring on Ash’s finger. “My soul is now yours forever.”

“Yeah,” Ash nods with a teary smile. Kissing Eiji’s forehead. Rubbing his knuckles against Eiji’s cheeks lovingly. “I love you, Eiji.”

Eiji smiles through the tears. It’s only them as the world becomes a field of grass and trees around them. “I love you too, Ash.” Eiji leans forward until their lips meet. Until the noise of the monitor is gone. Until the pain in Eiji’s chest is no more.

And in a small hospital room, Sing weeps.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Twitter:  
> [Myka](https://twitter.com/mykafl)


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